Thread Number: 42347  /  Tag: Recent Vacuum Cleaners from past 20 years
Shark Rotator Professional (trash find)
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Post# 445541   9/3/2021 at 03:41 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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Hey all, Sammy here again! I decided to ditch the "once-a-month" thing and knock it down to every two weeks.

After finding my first vacuum (thread #42300), it was quite some time before I found another awaiting rescue: a Shark Rotator Professional NV500. Shark is, as seen in my bio, my favourite modern vacuum brand, so I was very giddy when I noticed what brand it was!

Dateline: May 12, 2021. Stevens Point, Wisconsin. I was on my way to one of my last therapy appointments (I had been seeing this therapist since about 2012, he has since retired) when I saw a bunch of junk on the side of the road. Being the packrat I am, I had to flip a u-turn and take a closer look. Sure enough, there was the NV500, along with dozens and dozens of boxes. It seemed to me that this person was cleaning out their entire basement. I picked up whatever interested me, mostly VHS tapes, and stuffed it all into the back of my SUV. I couldn't see a blessed thing out of the back and I was about 10 minutes late for my appointment, but I think it was worth it!

Here's the NV500 when I found it, it was a bit north of Park Ridge. Judging by the condition of the tapes and their boxes, the entire basement was underwater. Seriously. I have never seen so much mould on a cassette before. But I digress - this is about the Rotator!


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Post# 445542 , Reply# 1   9/3/2021 at 04:13 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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Here's a recent photo of the Rotator. "Never loses suction." Maybe if companies stopped saying things like this, there wouldn't be so many vacuums thrown out.

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Post# 445544 , Reply# 2   9/3/2021 at 04:45 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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View of the rear of the Rotator. I've never seen so much yellowing on such a recent item!

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Post# 445545 , Reply# 3   9/3/2021 at 05:16 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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View of the brush-- holy crackers!! No wonder it didn't have any suction! It looks like they tried to groom a woolly mammoth!

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Post# 445546 , Reply# 4   9/3/2021 at 05:51 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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View of the cord. I'm angry. I don't care if I shouldn't have any expectations for a trash-picked item, that's just wrong!!

And on that bombshell, that's all for now! See you in another two weeks!! ❤️


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Post# 445578 , Reply# 5   9/3/2021 at 15:24 (938 days old) by dysonman1 (the county)        

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We do a monthly clean-out of my vacuum shop. In any given month there are 20 broken Sharks brought in for service. I sell them a different vacuum that can be fixed, and we throw the 20 Sharks away. Are there any models you'd like me to keep from the crusher that you're looking for? I'll give them to you.

Post# 445580 , Reply# 6   9/3/2021 at 16:08 (938 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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Dysonman - I appreciate your offer, but I really can't take in bulk groups of vacuums. I'm running out of storage space!

Post# 445602 , Reply# 7   9/4/2021 at 00:39 (938 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

If I saw a Shark vacuum in the trashpile as this one--I would LEAVE it in the trashpile!No telling what is NASTY in its filters?????So many folks buy bagless vacuums-they eagerly use the machine,dump the bin and put it away.Use it again and again-after dumping the bin and wonder why it picks up less and stinks----The manual they threw away with the vacuums box tells them about the filters and how to clean and replace them.And it seems like folks that own dogs buy these machines?

Post# 445603 , Reply# 8   9/4/2021 at 05:03 (937 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

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I've seen worse in bagged vacuums that have been sitting 35-40 years. The bags actally trap and percolate the filth. But nonetheless, it's why man has invented a myriad of cleaners and sanitizing agents. Enzymatic cleaners make quick work of the cleanup and dissolve all the bacteria and gunk - especially in the hoses. You would also be surprised to know that these get used commercially too. They hold up surprisingly well. My local Menards has one to keep the lighting department carpeting vacuumed and dusting off the display fixtures.

Post# 445604 , Reply# 9   9/4/2021 at 06:52 (937 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Commercial Sharks-HMM lets look in the places dumpster to see how many "dead" Sharks are in there-may be more than you think.To a business a Shark vacuum is a DISPOSABL vacuum-it quits picking up-into the dumpster it goes!When I see those being used commercially-how many have they gone thru????

Post# 445607 , Reply# 10   9/4/2021 at 08:52 (937 days old) by Jo (Dallas,TX)        
Well…the owner had a right to cut the cord!

As exasperating as this is. Cutting the cord off was the owners right. He or she likely took it to use as an extension cord or to repair another appliance or vacuum. Those cords are pricey new! If I find a junked vac that’s no good to keep I cut off the cord and put a female end on available at any hardware store and I magically have a nice extension cord for my vacuum or other appliance that needs a sizable length cord that isn’t one of those heavy duty orange yard cord types!

Hopefully there ain’t much else wrong with it except a lot of filth that needs removal. That much gunk on the brush roll can bend and destroy the bristles so it may now need a new brush roll to clean effectively.

I like Sharks as the lower priced end of modern day vacuums but don’t like the disposability factor of them.

Jon


Post# 445610 , Reply# 11   9/4/2021 at 10:17 (937 days old) by TheVacuumBarn (Idaho)        

If I had to have a budget machine, there are so many machines I’d much rather have than a Shark. For example, an Oreck, or a Hoover wind tunnel max bagged Or Hoover Tempo. That, or I could find a used Kirby, Kenmore, Simplicity, Tristar, or other bagged machine for next to nothing and fix it up. The only good use for a Shark is to part it out and sell the parts to people who got scammed by the slick marketing monstrosity that Shark has proven itself to be. I’ve heard that it isn’t as bad in Britain, but here in the US, there have been so many reports of people going to collect on their Shark warranty and being told that they can’t because of some minor technicality. TTI still makes parts available for most of their machines, and their bagged T series machines take HEPA bags, which filter much better than the infamous Shark dust bin without a real cyclone system.

Post# 445615 , Reply# 12   9/4/2021 at 15:56 (937 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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Jon -

"That is the problem with liberty."

Indeed, it's the right of the owner to cut the cord or modify their vacuum as they see fit. But, to me personally, that's like taking a 1970s muscle car and painting it bright purple and putting spinners on it.


Post# 445621 , Reply# 13   9/4/2021 at 19:51 (937 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
When

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I worked retail for 9 years as a manager. If we had a corded electronic we had to cut the cord. People dumpster divers and could resell the items. The Manufacturers have contracts that there not reusable. If someone took a vacuum returned and it was faulty they could try to sue shark.
It's dumb reasoning but that could be the reason behind some odds cut.
I have quite a few sharks I got for little or nothing. You clean them up and clean the filters etc. I took one my wife's boss gave here. I cleaned it up and put brand new filters. It was over 90 cfm.
People don't have to like them but good durable vacuum. There is a bunch of plastic vacuum. The vacuums in the 80s and 90s are really bulky plastic bagged vacuums. I'd take a shark over those any day. You do find vacuums that are dead. I take cords, hoses and brush rolls if there in good shape.


Post# 445632 , Reply# 14   9/4/2021 at 22:36 (937 days old) by fan-of-fans (USA)        

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We had one at work the prior cleaning lady used. I don't know what happened to it. We used to use it to clean around the computers and I used to clean my desk with it sometimes. I liked it, it was easy to push and the attachments and hose weren't bad at all compared to others.

I think Sharks are pretty well thought out, just that they aren't really meant to be repaired on the component level.


Post# 445633 , Reply# 15   9/4/2021 at 22:39 (937 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

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They can cut the cords all they want. I'm an electrician.

Post# 445639 , Reply# 16   9/4/2021 at 23:51 (937 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

Some people do cut cords on appliances left on the curb-the cords have surprizing value at scrapyards.You just have to get a lot of them.The vac place here does this-vacs that are scrapped he cuts the cords and puts them in a large box.The vac goes into the dumpster.

Post# 445641 , Reply# 17   9/5/2021 at 00:45 (937 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

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That might have been true several decades ago but not anymore. Many scrapyards do not take copper strand wire because it cant be cleanly stripped and its too fine to recycle. It doesn't melt into sufficient amounts and it falls apart all over the place once its sheathing is stripped off.

Also if that's the case than every Dollar Tree within a 50 mile radius is a honeypot by selling extension cords for $1 ea.

I have an Oreck Axis and some Dyson Ball model that were from a vac store dumpster and a store return dumpster, both with cut cords. Cost me about $15 and 10 minutes of work to put the new OEM/used cords back on. Most vacuums the power lead is just connected onto the motor's outgoing wires with crimp-on marrettes. Super easy to fix.


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Post# 445642 , Reply# 18   9/5/2021 at 06:31 (936 days old) by tolivac (Greenville,NC)        

The vac shop that recycles the cords-the yard he is using is doing it at this time-same with other places that have scrap cords and cables.You just need a LOT of it!!!The methods of scrap cable processing have improved greatly.

Post# 445649 , Reply# 19   9/5/2021 at 13:22 (936 days old) by LadyDobermann (Marshfield, Wisconsin)        

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So, what are you gonna do next? Tear down a bridge for $20,000 and go to jail?

CLICK HERE TO GO TO LadyDobermann's LINK


Post# 445662 , Reply# 20   9/5/2021 at 22:12 (936 days old) by TheVacuumBarn (Idaho)        

To clarify, it isn’t just because they’re bagless that I don’t like Sharks. There are a number of reasons including, but not limited to,the awkwardness of the tools, The undersized suction motor, the Poorly thought out chassis design, the unnecessarily bulky hose setup with that short slinky hoes hanging down awkwardly, and the lack of parts availability. I can say this because I’ve gotten the opportunity to see the issue from both the users perspective and the technicians point of View, and in both areas, the machines from Shark have severely let me down. The other problem is, the bagless designed that they use is very much outdated by today’s standards, and is more reminiscent of an older Kenmore Bagless or Eureka Whirlwind design. That might’ve been fine for the 90s or early 2000s, but today, Dyson and even $100 Hoover machines have better bagless designs with two or more cyclones. Being that the patent on cyclone technology is now expired, there is no passable excuse for Shark not to update their dust bin design.
To be fair, some of the reasons I mentioned above are the same reasons I wouldn’t buy a Kenmore Intuition; even though it is bagged, it shares a lot of the same design flaws with Shark, including the unnecessarily bulky Chassis and the short slinky hose hanging down the back. The problem with this set up, especially with the curved handle built-in, is that there’s no easy way to add an extension hose like you can with the Sebo Felix. This defeats the purpose of the lift away function, as you can’t set the machine on the floor and do above floor cleaning, or even edge cleaning. They really should’ve gone with a properly mounted hose that wraps around the back of the machine instead, and made the curved handle an extra attachment.


Post# 446033 , Reply# 21   9/14/2021 at 20:42 (927 days old) by Ryan7053 (US)        
Shark

My shark has lasted almost 9 years now it’s the nv352. I have had this machine since the very beginning of 2012. I have always cleaned the brush-roll, filters, weekly. I know many people hate shark vacuums but I personally haven’t had any issues with mine yes it’s made of plastic but I have not had anything break. It’s amazing to see how poorly people take care of household items. That vacuum posted by the OP never got cleaned once by its original owner. I got bored of my shark and have purchased my first water vacuum the new sirena system. I’ll keep my shark for the nasty nasty jobs.

Post# 446034 , Reply# 22   9/14/2021 at 22:09 (927 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

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I like Sharks a lot, they do a great job at deep cleaning and they will not shred wool carpeting to pieces like a Dyson does. The models with the fluffy roller are crucial if you have hardwood flooring. The only problem I have with them is no matter how pristine they are, after approx. 3 months from brand new, they start losing their suction and pickup ability. They act like when you are trying to use a vacuum with a full bag. I have gone over them front and back cleaning everything and aside from a total teardown and inspection of every individual part, I cannot understand why.

Post# 446036 , Reply# 23   9/14/2021 at 22:52 (927 days old) by Ryan7053 (US)        
Try this

You probably already know this but besides washing the filters…… Have you tried to look at the cyclone mesh inside the dust-bin in the middle? It after a few months will cake with dirt and dust. you have to wash it like the filters. Please please…. When you do this make sure you wipe down the cyclone with a dry paper towel very throughly!!!! If you don’t that cyclone is metal and will rust (I learned this the hard way).

Post# 446038 , Reply# 24   9/14/2021 at 23:13 (927 days old) by MadMan (Chicago, IL, USA)        

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Can confirm the cyclone screen mesh cone clogs after a few months. The Rotator and a couple other models of Shark have the cone in a hole permanently attached to the dust bin. It's the greatest downfall of those Sharks, but not insurmountable, as all you need is a toothbrush to brush the dust off of it once in a while. The thing is that you can't really see in there to inspect the cone, so it often appears clean. Doesn't help that the mesh is light gray, the same color as dust. My Rocket Professional has a very easily removable screen, it just sits there, so it's not a problem.

Post# 446098 , Reply# 25   9/15/2021 at 22:58 (926 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
I clean

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Those filters every time I wash the filters. I have a few sharks but a middle of the line navigator for close to 10 years. It still works just as good as when it was new.
Dyson cyclones and there hose at the back of the floor nozzle is terrible. I just like sir Dyson in commercials explaining how advanced his vacuums are when part of the design is genius but part of it renders this useless. If you want to clean the cyclone filter every time you use it. I owned a few. I cleaned them up and sold them for a good profit.
Cleaning sharks cyclonic filter every few months takes 30 to 60 seconds instead of 10 to 30 minutes.
With oak floors, tile and rugs the shark duo cleaning perfect. The carpet I use a ultimateG ,sanitaire,c9 compact or rainbow silver or black.


Post# 446103 , Reply# 26   9/16/2021 at 00:59 (926 days old) by TheVacuumBarn (Idaho)        

Shark with dual brush rolls running on wood floor? sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. Why not put a bare floor tool on one of your canisters and use that instead? The finish on your wood floors will last longer.

Post# 446114 , Reply# 27   9/16/2021 at 13:07 (925 days old) by Lesinutah (Utah)        
Did

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You miss the duo clean part? There made for wood floors.

Post# 446130 , Reply# 28   9/16/2021 at 21:22 (925 days old) by huskyvacs (Gnaw Bone, Indiana)        

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Correct, Les. Any of the models with the fluffy roller or DuoClean in the name are for hard flooring. They are designed with soft bristles and soft roller head.

I have original unfinished and unsealed oak flooring in my house, none of that "plastique" laminate over particle board they make today, the fluffy head rollers as well as the brushroll both do not do any harm to it. If the floor is cheap and getting cut up from just a vacuum, I think there would be more things worse than a vacuum that could damage it IMO.


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